Bring A Friend

Who does what? Jen Siebel Newsom, filmmaker, activist and wife of California Governor Gavin Newsom started asking this question in relation to the work that happens in homes and among families. In her latest film, Fair Play, Jen shares her candid stories of navigating equal contributions to the responsibilities at home and gives us a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how she got the Governor to pull his own weight.

Learn more about the film: https://www.fairplaylife.com/documentary

Do you see the upside? Jazzie Fresh does. When she found herself pregnant at 20 and offered assisted housing for her and her daughter, she took it as an opportunity to finish school and get her degree. When her work/study scholarship required her to spend time supporting the school's administration, she saw it as a career opportunity. Jazzie seems to find that behind every "no" is a yes waiting to happen. You just have to see it.

Can we walk in each other's shoes? That's what documentary filmmakers Kelly Duane de la Vega and Jessica Anthony asked as they set out to film their latest film, In the Bones. What started out as a story of two women working together to pass an equal pay bill for women in the state of Mississippi became a collage of insights about the experiences of women throughout the Mississippi as they try to navigate their place to have their voices heard. A member of their cast, Cassandra Welchlin joins in this fabulous conversation.

Check out their film here: https://threeframes.org/in-the-bones

Our world is filled with heroes we think we know as well as amazing influencers who the world has not yet heard of. George McCalman recognized this as a truth of Black people throughout American History, and set out to document and celebrate them. His latest creative endeavor, Illustrated Black History  features 145 people who have shaped our world and George tells their stories through a triple lens: as an illustrator, journalist and an acclaimed creative director.

Pick up your copy of Illustrated Black History 

What you see is not always what you get. Throughout her life, Jessica Bejarano was misjudged. Too often viewed as "not fitting the mold", Jessica harnassed her passion for classical music and her extrordinary belief in herself to make it to a place never before inhabited by a female, Latina, queer immigrant. She now cherishes her role as Creative Director and Conductor of the San Francisco Philharmonic Orchestra, and is proving to young people everywhere that dreams are truly worth pursuing.

Optimism: Nature or nurture? Raised under a flight of stairs, deep in the heart of Calcutta, India, Jillian Haslam was dealt a difficult childhood hand. But through a series of lucky breaks and seized opportunities, she turned her dark beginnings into bright light for other children like her.

Get an even more detailed look at her life with her book, A Voice Out of Poverty.

What do you learn from your pooch? Veterinary Oncologist, Dr. Renee Alsarraf learned far more than she imagined when given a diagnosis of cancer herself. The lessons from her pet patients (and the people who loved them) got her through her own challenge and gave her strength to write the insightful and moving new book, Sit, Stay, Heal.

How do you stand up for what you believe? Jen Pepper and Dr. Nikia Grayson know that in terms of their cause, access to reproductive care, the battle had to be fought on the front lines. Come join us as we hear about their travel from Memphis, TN to Carbondale, Illinois where they are setting up services for women in need.

Learn more and help support their work here. 

Climbing the walls? That's almost what Dierdre Wolownick needed to do to build a connection with her son. He's Alex Honnold, the celebrated Free Solo rock climber. And since he was often away from home on his next climbing adventure, Dierdre decided that the best way to bond with him was to climb to new heights herself (breaking all kinds of records of her own as she went).

WE'RE BACK WITH SEASON 5!

Who shaped you? This Episode's guest knows that behind most successful people lies someone who helped make them who they are. In her latest award-winning book, The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation, Anna Malaika Tubbs celebrates the women behind these men and how the lessons from those women are shaping her own journey.